he extent to which he was identified with the
country is unexampled in the relations of individual men to the
community. During the whole period of his life he was the thinking part
of the nation. He was its mind; it was his image and illustration. If we
would classify and measure him, it must be with nations and not with
individuals.

This extraordinary nature of Washington's capacities--this impossibility
of analyzing and understanding the elements and methods of his
wisdom--have led some persons to doubt whether, intellectually, he was
of great superiority; but the public--the community--never doubted of
the transcendent eminence of Washington's abilities. From the first
moment of his appearance as the chief, the recognition of him, from one
end of the country to the other, as THE MAN--the leader, the counsellor,
the infallible in suggestion and in conduct--was immediate and
universal. From that moment to the close of the scene, the national
confidence in his capacity was as spontaneous, as enthusiastic, as
immovable, as it was in his integrity. Particular persons, affected by
the untoward course of events, sometimes questioned his sufficiency; but
the nation never questioned it, nor would allow it to be questioned.
Neither misfortune, nor disappointment, nor accidents, nor delay, nor
the protracted gloom of years, could avail to disturb the public trust
in him. It was apart from circumstances; it was beside the action of
caprice; it was beyond all visionary, and above all changeable feelings.
It was founded on nothing extraneous; not upon what he had said or done,
but upon what he was. They saw something in the man, which gave them
assurance of a nature and destiny of the highest elevation--something
inexplicable, but which inspired a complete satisfaction. We feel that
this reliance was wise and right; but why it was felt, or why it was
right, we are as much to seek as those who came under the direct
impression of his personal presence. It is not surprising, that the
world, recognizing in this man a nature and a greatness which philosophy
cannot explain, should revere him almost to religion.

The distance and magnitude of those objects which are too far above us
to be estimated directly--such as stars--are determined by their
parallax. By some process of that kind we may form an approximate notion
of Washington's greatness. We may measure him against the great events
in which he moved; and against the great men, a